Studying for Ecology, perhaps?

Hi everyone! I hope everyone did awesome on their Biosystematics exam. I'm not sure how well I did, but I felt prepared for the most part. Those check-off things are intense. Anyway, I've been working on the study guide for Ecology, and I thought I'd go ahead and post the previous ones for the semester so you wouldn't have to go searching. Keep in mind the link marked Final is only the new material since the last exam so you'll need to study all of the links to get a good review. Good luck!
Ciao!
~Val

Exam 1
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Exam 2
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Exam 3
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Final
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*fixed a goof-up on the final vocab where #4-6 all had the same definition. Sorry about that! (Dec 8, 9:25pm)
**fixed a goof-up where I deleted the entire question next to the graphs on questions 10-12 of the final blank. 12/9/12, 6:15pm

Little Study Help

Hi all!
I've been working on a study guide for the Biosystematics first, since it's coming up on Friday. I started with compiling some check-off tables for you to practice on. I didn't do as well on those on the last test, so I narrowed my focus a little. This may be a little bit of overkill. Anyway, hopefully I didn't make too many mistakes. I did make a lot of goofies on the lab study guide, and I'm sorry about that. Here's the finished study guide as well, apparently the check-offs were a good portion of the material, so there's not as many questions to review. Good luck!
Ciao!
~V
**If you downloaded the check off sheet before 2:30 on Wednesday, Dec. 5, there was a mistake (so far). I forgot to check off Aves as homeothermic. It's fixed now. Let me know if you see anything else that I've goofed up!
**Fixed typos in check-offs -- Dec 6, 2:42pm EST
Check off study guide
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Study Guide
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Class 12/3/12

Last day of class, y'all! It has been a pleasure this semester, and I look forward to finishing it off strong at finals time. Keep an eye out for study guides, probably starting with biosystematics, but who knows, I may get them up in chunks simultaneously. We'll see how my mood goes. So here's the stuff from today's class. Take care!
Ciao!
~V

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Class 11/30/12

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Class 11/28/12

Only two more days of class to go! Good luck to everyone on the lab final today. See you soon!
Ciao,
~Val

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics Lab Study Guide

I'm working on a study guide for the lab exam. I know I've uploaded all my photos, but I thought this might make it more concise. The images in the doc file are resized, so it might be better to also consult the online slideshows to see closeups and check out the lab manual too, it's very useful.
Ciao,
~Val

Study Guide

Class 11/26/12

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Class 11/16/2012

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Lab photos for Phylum Annelida, Arthropoda I, Arthropoda II, and Chordata

Annelida and Arthropoda I
Arthropoda II and Chordata

Class 11/14/2012

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

(I'm working on catching up the lab photos for the last couple of weeks.)

Class 11/12/2012

Ecology
Lecture Audio
Lab Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Class 11/9/2012

No Ecology, exam day!

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Studying for Ecology Exam Tomorrow?

Here's a few tips!

• Make sure you go over the quiz key that Dr. Ruehl posted on CougarView.
• Go back over the Chapter 11 assignment that he just returned graded via email.
• Check out the awesome study guide that I've got here for you!

Ecology Exam 3 Study Guides
Chapter 11-15, 20
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A few things -- I would recommend reading chapter 20 and going over that last presentation in addition to the study guide. I just couldn't quite wrap my head around how to get some of those interaction things into the study guide. I hope everyone does well tomorrow!
Ciao
~V

Class 11/5/2012

Ecology
Audio (Lecture)
Audio (Lab)
Notes (both)

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Class 11/2/2012

No Biosystematics notes today due to the exam.

Ecology
Audio
Notes

More Study Guides

And here's the study guides for tomorrow. I hope it helps everyone. I broke it up a bit because it's a lot of info. I hope everyone does well, and I'll see you tomorrow.
~Ciao, V

Phyla checklist
Phyla checklist blank
Porifera/Cnidaria
Porifera/Cnidaria blank
Remaining Phyla
Remaining Phyla blank

Biosystematics Study Guides

I'm going to post them by sections so you can get going on each one more quickly. I'm hoping to finish all these and get back on my durn ecology paper. (grrr)

Biosystematics Exam 1 Study Guide (chapter 3-4)
Blank Study Guide ch. 3-4

Class 10/31/2012

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Pictures from today's lab
YouTube video of thrashing nematodes
YouTube video of rotifer
Shorter video, but better view of the rotifer

Class 10/29/12

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Class 10/26/12

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Class 10/24/12

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Photos from Biosystematics Lab so far 
Lab 1 -- There are no photos from lab 1, because we just did the key.
Lab 2
Lab 3

Class 10/22/12

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Class 10/19/12

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Class 10/17/12

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Class 10/15/2012

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Class 10/12/2012

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

No Ecology class today. :) Enjoy your weekend!

Class 10/10/2012

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

No Ecology today because of the exam.

Study guides for Ecology exam 2

I'm going to post these as chapters so that you can get to them sooner than if I made one big review. I didn't include anything that was on the quiz with the hope that he will be posting that key sometime today. I will go back and add what I can remember if he doesn't post that soon. Hope it helps!

Chapter 7-10 review (with vocab) 
Chapter 7-10 review blank

Be sure to look over all of the labs and the quiz key because I'm sure they are fair game. I hope everyone does well tomorrow!
~V

Flash Cards

Here's the link to the flash cards on the Ecology book website. I like this format pretty well because you can either use the flashcard option or turn it into a quiz-type format. It gives you a multiple-choice type quiz, and it's pretty great. I'm also going to put more in-depth vocab on the study guide since he did give us that big page of vocab to write out. But while I'm putting it all together, you can work on studying the vocab at the website. Enjoy!
~V

Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10

Class 10/5/2012

I hope everyone did well on their Biosystematics exam on Friday, and I hope you are having a great weekend/Fall break. Here is the lecture I recorded from Friday's Ecology class. I didn't take any notes because I was obsessing about the Biosystematics exam. But at least you have recorded lecture, especially those of you who skipped in order to study for the exam. No judgey from me. I am working on the study guide for Ecology, and I will post some handy study tools from the website as well. See y'all on Wednesday!
~V

Ecology Lecture Audio

A little help, perhaps?

I love keeping this blog going so that I can help out my classmates. I certainly don't ask for anything in return, and don't expect that to change any time soon. (Here comes the BUT...) BUT... If anyone has benefited from the stuff posted here, please consider helping out this weekend with the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes. I am a member of the CSU AMSA team, and we are walking on Saturday morning at Rotary Park at 8:00am. If you can join in, I know it's late notice, but I just had the thought of getting it out there for anyone who could help. If you can't walk, consider donating (even just a dollar!) to the cause. We get nothing from any donations you make, it all goes to JDRF. So, if you can come walk, or if you are interested in donating, go to the Team Website and find out more! Thanks!
~Val

Study guides for Biosystematics exam 2

I'm splitting them up into chapters so that I can get them up faster. I figured if I waited til I did every chapter, I wouldn't have anything to put up until midnight. At least this way, you'll have something to go over while I'm assembling the rest. Good luck!

Chapters 19-20, lichens and bryophytes
I only did the blank for studying because apparently I saved the one that had all the answers in it wrong. I don't have time to go back and fill in all the answers, so I'll leave that for y'all to do. Hopefully the chapters going forward will have the answers as well as a second blank form for study.

Chapter 21 Answers
Chapter 21 Blank

Chapter 22 Answers
Chapter 22 Blank 

Chapter 23 Answers
Chapter 23 Blank


Remember: If you only use my tools to study, you may not make an awesome grade. I only intend this to be used as a supplement, and if you fail, don't bring the torches and pitchforks. Good luck!

StudyArch for Mental Case

Thanks to Jenn for sending me this great Mental Case study archive file. If you have Mental Case on your Mac, this is very helpful! If not, you can get it in the app store. If you have windows, I'm very sorry. If you have an iPhone, iPad, or iPod, you can get this software in the app store as well. Good luck!
Biosystematics StudyArch

I am studying today, and hopefully I'll have some kind of study guide to help you out with later this afternoon. Good luck guys!

Pics from Biosystematics lab 9/26

Photo stream for lab 7
These are the pics I took from the microscopy in lab 7. Hope it helps you for the test! (and you can use them too, Dr. Burgess!)

Class 10/1/2012

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Class 9/28/2012

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Class 9/26/2012

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Class 9/24/2012

I tried to update the blog on Monday night, but for some reason my pen decided that I shouldn't be able to transfer the notes. I finally got the notes to transfer, and then the audio wasn't working. So this morning, I dedicated two hours to fixing the problem, and it is all resolved. This is how much I love helping you out! (haha) Anyway, here's Monday! (Ecology started a few minutes late because he was having computer issues)

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics Lab Photos

I have taken some photos during biosystematics lab, and I thought I'd share those here so that you can study for the upcoming lab exam. I only have pictures from the last two labs, but I think that Jenn may have some from earlier labs. When you click on the link, be sure you hover your mouse over the picture and click for a zoomed view. Anyway, I hope these help a bit!

Lab 4

Algae

Euglenophyta

Euglena oxyuris

Dinophyta

Ceratium

Bacillariophyta

Diatoms

Phaeophyta

Fucus vesiculosis L.
Sargassum
Dried Kelp
Fucus

Rhodophyta

Porphyra umbilicalis (Red algae)
Wakame (sushi wrapper)

Chlorophyta

Chlorophyceae 
Volvox

Ulvophyceae
Ulva -- sea lettuce

Charophyceae
Spyrogyra

Fungi

Zygomycota

Rhizopus
Rhizopus zygosporangium

Ascomycota

Aspergillus
Aspergillus ascocarp (perithecia)

Basidiomycota

Basidiomycetes
Shelf fungi
Basidiomycetes gill slide

Teliomycetes
Puccinia graminis -- this is the stem of a plant that has fungi spores erupting out of the epidermis of the plant.

Lab 5

Bryophyta (mosses)
Moss A -- It's kinda hard to see the midrib because the one leaf that I got whole had another one on top of it, making it difficult to identify specific parts. But if you zoom the picture, you can see it really well.
(I don't have a pic of moss b apparently)
Moss C -- sporophyte slide
Archegonia
Antheridia
Capsule

Anthocerotophyta (hornworts)
Anthoceros horn (sporophyte) 
Anthoceros thallus slide 
Nostoc (mutualistic cyanobacteria)

Hepatophyta (liverworts)
Marchantia spores
Marchantia sporophyte
Marchantia thallus (make sure you zoom and look at the splash cups on the thallus!)


And finally, this mysterious unlabeled sporangium(?) is in my photos and I have no idea exactly where it goes. Does anyone remember this and what it is? Bueller?
Mystery sporangium

Lab 6

I have the photos that I took from lab 6, but I don't have the handout available to line it all up properly. So I'm just posting the images  and hopefully that will help you out.

I will try to label these when I get my handout back.
Fern (Pterophyta) Sporangium
Lycopodium strobilus, maybe?
Psilotum stem
Psilotum synangium
Psilotum spores.
Equisetum stem
Pterophyta (fern) gametophyte
Equisetum strobilus
I promise to be more helpful when I get my handout back. :)

Class 9/21/12

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Class 9/19/12

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Class 9/17/12

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Class 9/14/12

Ecology
Audio
Notes
**Be sure to download the discussion article over the weekend and read it and be ready to discuss in lab on Monday**

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Class 9/12/12

Ecology
Audio
*I was a little late to class this morning, sorry about that!
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Class 9/10/12

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

**Exam in Ecology today, no notes**

Study Guide for Ecology Exam Tomorrow

I know it's WAY WAY too late for this to help, but I would feel bad if I didn't share the study guide I'm working on to study for tomorrow's test. I had a really busy weekend, and I really had a hard time making myself be still and study. The weather was too pretty to stay inside! I hope it's pretty for our trip to Lynhaven tomorrow. Anyway, if anyone is still up and studying, I hope you find this and it helps. See you tomorrow!

Blank Study Guide
Answers

Disclaimer: Use this information at your own risk, I have done my best to compile good information from the lectures, Power Points, and the textbook. However, if you use this and fail, please don't beat me up; I'll have done as poorly as you.

Class 9/7/12

I'm posting the lecture from ecology class, I didn't take any notes to speak of, so I'm just posting the audio. Of course we had an exam in biosystematics, so there's nothing to upload there. We were only in class til 10:30 before we went to the lab to work on the soils. I haven't had any time this weekend to work on study guides, so you're pretty much on your own for the ecology exam on Monday. Sorry about that, there are the flashcards I posted, and I believe there is a website for the book where you may be able to do some practice quizzes or the like. Just check in your book to see if there is anything helpful. See you on Monday!

Ecology
Audio

Class 9/5/12

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics Study Help

I'm working on a study guide for the exam on Friday, and I'll try to have that up in a little while. Meantime, here's a link to vocab flashcards that I made. If you've not had Dr. Burgess before, he usually likes to lead off a test with vocabulary fill-in. He mentioned when he discussed exams a few weeks back that he likes that format and intends to keep it going in this course. In my experience, he pretty much follows his powerpoints for the rest of the questions, so that's what I'm compiling for my study guide with the previous exam experience I've had with him in mind. Did that make any sense? Ah well...
Here's the link to the flashcards:
Flashcards
I've done as much as I can in the realm of study guide, so here's the guide with answers included. You'll have to study the lab power points on your own, because I don't have time to go through those. Good luck!
Biosystematics Exam 1 Study Guide
(Found a few typos in the study guide, sorry for the inconvenience)

Here's the blank version of the study guide for you to practice.
Biosystematics Exam 1 Study Guide Blank

No class today, some study helps

I've been doing a little studying in Ecology over the weekend, so I thought I'd share some of the stuff I've been studying. A little disclaimer again, if you don't do well, don't blame it on me. :) These links to flash cards are just to the Ecology textbook website, but I didn't see the need to make all new flash card files for Mental Case when this was here, and it doesn't require anyone to buy and install software. This website also has some other review material that you may find helpful. Good luck!

Vocab flash cards chapter 1
Vocab flash cards chapter 2
Vocab flash cards chapter 3
Vocab flash cards chapter 4
Vocab flash cards chapter 5
Vocab flash cards chapter 6
Vocab flash cards chapter 20

Also if you switch to quiz mode, it allows you to quiz yourself by selecting the answer from four different choices. I'll try to get a review up sometime this week for Biosystematics and Ecology if I have time.

Class 8/31/12

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Class 8/29/12

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Lab Audio
Notes

Class 8/27/12

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Class 8/24/12

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Class 8/22/12

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Lab Audio
Notes

**No notes/audio from physics lab because he didn't really talk, and it would have just been us bumbling around trying to finish the lab.

Class 8/20/2012

Ecology
Lecture Audio
Lab Audio 1
Lab Audio 2
Lecture and Lab Notes

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Physics
Audio
Notes

Class 8/17/12

Ecology
Audio
Notes
*He uploads powerpoints to CougarView, so I don't take a lot of notes unless something on the ppt inspires me or he says something that sounds important. :)

Biosystematics
Audio
Notes

Class 8/15/12

Ecology
Audio
Notes

Biosystematics
Lecture Audio
Lecture/Lab Notes
Lab Audio

Physics
I have no notes for lab, the handout for the lab is on CougarView. It was kind of a mess. :)

Classes 8/13/12

So today was a REALLY long day. I am posting the lectures from Ecology, Biosystematics, and Physics, as well as the lab from Ecology. You'll have to excuse the comments and whispering, especially in Physics, but if you were there, you know why. The Physics lecture did not pick up as well because I'm pretty much in the back and he is a bit of a mumbler. My notes for today may or not be very helpful. I'll try to do better. We'll call it first day back whatever issues... So I hope this helps!

Ecology
Lecture and Lab Notes
Lecture Audio
Lab Audio 1
Lab Audio 2
Mental Case Vocab Ch 1

Biosystematics
Lecture Notes
Lecture Audio

Physics
Lecture Notes
Lecture Audio
Lecture Audio 2
Lecture Audio 3

Back to the Beginning.

We are one week away from school starting, and I thought I would pick up the study blog again like I did in the spring. For those of you who have not seen the spring study blog, it is located at spring2012csu.blogspot.com. I kept a study blog with recordings of lectures, handwritten notes, flash card files for Mental Note (if you have a Mac, it's in the app store and it's awesome), and the occasional exam study guide. I don't know if it helped anyone else, but it helped me to keep it all going so I would study. Anyway, keep an eye out here because I plan to post all the same stuff again. Enjoy!
~Val